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In 1826, the government purchased a small plot of land
at Concord Point in Havre
de Grace, Maryland, to mark the entrance to the Susquehanna River. John
Donahoo, who also served as town commissioner of Havre de Grace,
constructed a lighthouse on the site for $3500 in 1827.
The granite lighthouse stood 39-feet high and originally housed
nine lamps with reflectors. A steamer's lens replaced the reflectors in
1855. In 1869, a sixth-order Fresnel lens was installed, and
was replaced by a firth-order lens in 1891. A granite keeper's
residence was built nearby. A second story was added to
the keeper's house in 1884.
The first keeper at Concord Point was John O'Neill. During the
War of 1812, he single-handedly manned a cannon and fought a
British invasion force approaching Havre de Grace. As a reward
for his bravery, O'Neill was appointed keeper. From the light's
inception to automation in 1920, at least six members of the O'Neill
family served as keeper of the light.
After automation, the site gradually fell into disrepair.
The light was decommissioned in 1975. That year, the Fresnel lens
was stolen. In 1979, the Friends of Concord Point Lighthouse was
established to protect and preserve the lighthouse. Today, the
lighthouse is still maintained by the Friends of Concord Point,
and every evening a light is shown from a restored fifth-order
lens in the tower.
Bay Beacons, Turbyville pp. 2-5
The Lighthouses of the Chesapeake, de Gast p. 115
Lighting the Bay: Tales of Chesapeake Lighthouses, Vojtech pp. 16-162
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